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Alcoholism & Suicide
Alcoholism is a psychiatric disorder that has links to increased risk of suicidal behaviors. According to Pektas (2004) up to one third of alcoholics who committed suicide had previously attempted it. In this study the sociodemographic factors and clinical symptoms of a sample of suicidal alcohol-dependent patients were examined.

Alcohol abusers who attempt suicide are an important subgroup of patients needing emergency medical services. A significantly larger portion of alcohol abusers who had attempted suicide have abused drugs and went through periods of major depression than those who have not attempted. The suicidal subjects also experienced more psychiatric symptoms. Some significant risk factors for suicide attempts in alcohol dependent populations are impulsive and aggressive behavior and depressive conditions and/or personality disorders. The suicidal individuals tend to be involved with more substance abuse than those who are not, have had more problems with police, school and parents during early adulthood and are more likely to have family members who abuse alcohol or experience depression.
One study discussed by Pektas (2004, 205) found that alcoholics who attempt suicide started drinking heavily at an early age, were found to have multiple psychiatric problems (such as depression, antisocial personality disorder and substance abuse) as well as more severe psychiatric symptoms than those who do not attempt suicide. The suicidal individuals also were more likely to have an alcoholic parent. A second study discussed stated that alcohol-dependent individuals who attempted suicide were usually much younger than those who were not suicidal and more often had substance abuse disorders, panic attacks, antisocial disorder and overall social difficulties that are common with alcoholism. The suicide attempters were more likely to have had a relative commit suicide as well. "A powerful grade relationship exists between adverse childhood experiences and the risk of attempted suicide" (Pektas, 2004, 205). A third study mentioned said that cholesterol levels had an affect on suicide risk, though no substantial evidence has been found in support of that theory.
This particular study took 377 alcohol-dependent patients and looked at all of the before-mentioned characteristics. The group ranged from 20-78 years of age and all met the criteria for alcohol dependence. The individuals who had recently attempted suicide were separated

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